Improvement in shirts



T. M. & E. DENHAM.

Shirt.

Patented Nov. 4, 1879.

NPETERS. PHOTO LITMOGRAPN UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS M. DENHAM AND EDWARD DENHAM, OF NE\V BEDFORD, MASS.

IMPROVEMENT IN SHIRTS.

Speeilication forming partof Letters Patent No. 221,287, dated November 4, 1879; application filed September 15, 1879.

To all whom it may cancer-n:

Be it known that we, THOMAS M. DENHAM and EDWARD DENHAM, both of New Bedford, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shirts; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

The design of our improvement is to line or face the back of a shirt in such a manner as to make it more durable in the place where there is the most wear, yet have it most comfortable to the wearer and easiest to iron.

Sack-shirts, so called, formerly worn, were straight loose-fitting garments, and often with the back lined the whole width and' down to the waist; but the kind or style almost universally worn at the present day is made with a yoke or double piece of cloth resting on the shoulders and designed to fit the shoulders quite smoothly. The back of the shirt, being joined to this, requires some fullness, (more or less, according to the shape or size of the wearer,) which is sewed to the yoke by gathering in or plaiting the fullness into the yoke. T0 line the back the whole length of the yoke would require both thicknesses to be gathered, which would makeit very difficult to iron both parts smoothly.

By our invention we have endeavored to put this fullness where it should be, and line or face smoothly that portion where there is most wear from the braces or pant-suspenders.

The annexed drawing represents the back view of a shirt with the new stay or facing according to our invention.

D represents the yoke of the shirt; F, the new facing or stay, one on each side, and over the shoulder-blade, (represented by dotted lines,) which we propose to join smoothly (together with the back) to the yoke, leaving the gathers,

as marked by letters S, in the hollow of the I back and between the shoulders.

The facings F joining thesleeve also near the upper edge, and then extending down toward the center of the back, makes a double thickness where there is most wear from the pant suspenders or braces, leaving all the fullness necessary for the comfort of the wearer, and yet as easy to iron as though not faced in any part. The fullness being all in the center of the back will also have a tendency to prevent the gaping open of the back in open-back shirts. This facing F not coming below the arm-scye, where there is little wear, makes it more comfortable than a double thickness would be when worn under a smooth-fitting coat. I

We are fully aware that it is not new simply to re-enforce the back of shirts, or to have the rc-enforeement extend down in points as shown, for instance, in patent of Ballou, No. 25,937, and others of asimilar constructionand hence we lay no claim to this feature per 86; but

What we do claim, and desire to seeureby Letters Patent, is-

In a shirt, the combination of the straightcut yoke D with the two separate back facings, F F, said facing being joined to the yoke and upper part of the sleeve, and cut to leave a fullness upto the lower edge of the yoke, which fullness is gathered, as shown at S S, all in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own invention we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

THOS. M. DENHAM. [L.s.] EDWARD DENHAM. [Ls] Witnesses:

L. P. MILLER, GEORGE P. LAW. 

